AgroLiquid News - Winter 2020

AgroLiquid NEWS WINTER 2020

Looking Toward the Future | 1 What’s the Difference? | 3 Sulfur | 5 springuP™ | 8 2020 Research | 9

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© 2020 AgroLiquid. All Rights Reserved

WELCOME

Looking Toward the Future AgroLiquid is pleased to announce Nick Bancroft has assumed the role of chief executive officer (CEO), effective November 1, 2020. Nick’s promotion comes as current CEO and AgroLiquid founder, Troy Bancroft announces his plan to transition to a more strategic role as president of the AgroLiquid Board of Directors and member of the company’s leadership team.

“Nick has demonstrated exceptional leadership and management abilities as vice president for the past 10 years,” Troy Bancroft said. “He brings the vision and insight needed to lead AgroLiquid into the future.”

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“

While day-to-day operations of the company will now be in Nick’s capable hands, I am looking forward to focusing on strategy to grow the business, as well as providing insight and experience to the Board and the leadership team.”

—troy bancroft

A Seamless Transition AgroLiquid’s Board of Directors elected Nick as CEO after a thorough interview process. While the Board acknowledged Nick has been taking on more responsibilities for some time, they believed it critical to ensuring a seamless transition in this leadership position.

“We have been long focused on succession planning and the Board is confident that Nick’s transition into the CEO role will build on the tremendous progress AgroLiquid has made in the industry,” Troy said.

“I look forward to leading AgroLiquid and driving performance

forward. I am honored to work with our employees, Retail Partners and industry partners as we further AgroLiquid’s mission to Prosper the Farmer,” Nick says.

In leaving the day-to-day operation of the company in Nick’s capable hands, Troy looks forward to focusing on strategy and further growing AgroLiquid as a family owned business. His insight will be valuable to both the AgroLiquid Board of Directors and the leadership team. He also looks forward to continuing his work with AgroLiquid’s valuable employees and many agriculture groups.

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Crop Nutrition

What’s the Difference?

By Dave Furbeck, AgroLiquid Sales & Marketing Director

There are lots of choices out there when it comes to selecting crop nutrition products. What makes AgroLiquid any different? It comes down to what we have been doing for more than 35 years: providing a complete line of effective crop nutrients, and offering highly trained staff and Retail Partners to provide sound recommendations based on a soil test, agronomics and crop goals.

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plant. We eliminate harmful bi-products that can cause crop injury and use proprietary formulation technology that improves uptake and utilization of our products within the plant. Those things together create high quality, efficient fertilizer products.

Another important consideration in choosing fertilizer is compatibility.

Regardless of the reason, taking extra passes over the field to apply fertilizer is not an efficient use of resources.

AgroLiquid products can be effectively applied at planting, side-dress, or foliar– when a pass will be taken over the field, anyway. In fact, AgroLiquid’s seed-safe formulations and chelation technology are representative of our commitment to generating the maximum crop response from applications of fertilizer.

In addition, AgroLiquid has unmatched compatibility with most crop protection products and the full range of other AgroLiquid nutrients.

A Good Foundation There are many factors to consider when structuring a nutrient management plan.

First, it’s less about what you put in the products, than what you don’t put in the products. The foundation of a good fertilizer is using raw materials that don’t contain things that are harmful to plants.

AgroLiquid uses the highest quality raw materials and puts them together in a clean formulation that is safe for the

Intensive research, development and product testing have resulted in a fullrange of nutrient products that don’t solely focus on N-P-K. As AgroLiquid Chief Executive Officer, Nick Bancroft, says, “we use nutrients to make nutrients better.” He gives the example of a phosphorous product, “It should not only contain phosphorous, it should contain nitrogen, it should contain potassium, and it should contain micronutrients.”

Bancroft explains those nutrients work in

harmony with phosphorous in the processes that phosphorous affect in the plant to make uptake, translocation, and utilization in the plant more efficient. This equates to more plant growth with less applied fertilizer.

AgroLiquid employs this philosophy in products such as Pro-Germinator®, which uses a blend of phosphate, nitrogen, potash, and iron to maximize crop response at critical growth stages.

If you are a producer facing the prospect of investing significantly in crop nutrition, it can be uncomfortable leaving a recommendation to someone’s good judgement. How do you know if that ‘someone’ knows what they are talking about as it relates to crop nutrition and your farm? That’s why it is important to work with people who are committed to crop nutrition. Backed by years of research, AgroLiquid’s highly trained sales and agronomy team is skilled at helping growers make these management decisions.

Beyond that, AgroLiquid partners with ag retailers who are dedicated to helping growers develop efficient and economical crop nutrition plans.

AgroLiquid is successful when our customers are profitable. We work tirelessly on all of these factors and more to be the best at this variable. Regardless of the changes in markets and economics of our producers, we are on the same ride, so we better strive to be the best at what we do. We approach our customers with long-term success in mind.

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Sulfur Deficiency vs Nitrogen Deficiency Sulfur

Note the differences in symptoms between nitrogen (top photo of corn above) and sulfur deficiencies (lower photo of cotton above, and corn photo to the left). Sulfur deficiencies will first occur in the upper, or younger portion of a plant, whereas nitrogen deficiencies will first appear on the lower leaves of the plant.

Sulfur

By John Leif, Field Agronomy Manager

Sulfur plays a part in many plant functions. One of the primary reasons sulfur is critical to crop production is that it works hand-in-hand with nitrogen in the plant. Sulfur is required to allow the plant to use nitrogen efficiently. Sulfur is required for the plant to metabolize nitrogen, which is why poor nitrogen performance in crops is often associated with lower than optimum available sulfur. But sulfur is a vital crop nutrient itself. It is an integral part of amino acids, which are essential for plant protein production. It also contributes to chlorophyll formation which is a key component of photosynthesis in plants.

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Why All The Fuss?

Sulfur has always been an important nutrient in crop production. We have heard more about it in recent years because of the “Clean Air Act” and a variety of environmental stewardship initiatives that have dramatically reduced the amount of sulfur emitted into the air. That sulfur was deposited into the soil to replenish what was lost to crop uptake and the environment.

The sulfur available from that source is no longer sufficient to replenish the soil and so we rely on fertilizer sources to supply needed sulfur to plants.

has been shown to increase the synthesis of oils, especially in oil crops such as canola, soybeans, or flax.

Sources of Sulfur In order to better understand the need for proper sulfur management in crop production it is necessary to understand where sulfur can enter the crop production system and possible avenues of sulfur loss. Sulfur comes from the atmosphere, organic materials such as animal manures and plant residues, and from fertilizers.

[See below for sulfur diagram]

In addition to the loss of atmospheric sulfur, crop yields have increased exponentially over the last 20 years.

These high yield goals require a larger supply of all nutrients, including sulfur.

Between the increased need for sulfur, the reduced supply of atmospheric sulfur, and losses to the environment, it is necessary to include sulfur as a consideration in all crop nutrition plans.

Sulfur occurs in many forms, but only sulfate sulfur can be effectively used by plants. Sulfur in any other form needs to be transformed through mineralization or oxidation to become sulfate. That transformation requires the appropriate environmental conditions, biological components and time. As shown on the sulfur cycle diagram, sulfate sulfur can be converted

into non-sulfate (and therefore nonavailable) sulfur.

As with all nutrients, sulfur leaves the crop production system through crop harvest, volatilization, runoff or leaching. Of course, it is preferable it be taken up by the crop plant, but sulfur is also susceptible to leaching and volatilization, and can be lost due to runoff and erosion. Those avenues of loss are very similar to nitrogen.

So Now What?

As with almost all crop nutrition planning, the best place to start the discussion on sulfur management is with a soil test. The current methodology for determining sulfur content allows the lab to quantify the amount of sulfate, or SO42- sulfur, as well as sulfur contained in various organic forms. This allows for greater accuracy in determining sulfate sulfur, but it also detects and quantifies forms of sulfur other than sulfate. The reported number includes all forms of sulfur, so the amount listed on the report

How It’s Used Atmospheric Sulfur Atmospheric Deposition

SO2 gas

Volatilization Crop Harvest Mineral Fertilizer

Animal Manure and Biosolids

Plant Residue Runoff and Erosion

Elemental Sulfur Absorbed or Mineral Sulfur Organic Sulfur

Plant Uptakes

oxi da tio n

While it is considered a secondary nutrient, sulfur (S) is essential to all crops for peak production. Plants use sulfur in the sulfate form (SO42-), which, like nitrate, is very mobile in the soil and is prone to leaching in wet soil conditions, particularly in sandy soils. Sulfur deficiencies are becoming increasingly common across North America.

About 90% of the sulfur absorbed by plants is found in amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. As mentioned earlier, it is essential for chlorophyll formation. It

tion l oxida bacteria

immob ilizatio n minera lization

Sulfate Sulfur SO4 2-

tion l reduc bacteria

COMPONENT

INPUT

LOSS

Reduced Sulfur Leaching

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SULFUR continued eNhance is a sulfur product that has a small amount of nitrogen, manganese, and zinc. It can be safely applied in-furrow to many crops as well as a foliar treatment with little risk of crop injury.

Common in-furrow use rates are 0.25 – 0.5 gallon per acre, which can provide 3 – 6 lbs sulfur nutrition performance per acre.

The ability of eNhance to be applied in-furrow, 2x2, and as a foliar treatment makes it one of the most versatile sulfur nutrition sources on the market.

AccesS contains 17% sulfur that is readily available to the crop.

The formulation keeps the sulfur in an available form and prevents conversion to elemental or organic forms. AccesS can be applied 2x2, broadcast or sidedressed in row crops, top dressed in small grains, and can be applied as a foliar treatment to forage crops such as alfalfa. AccesS should NOT be applied in-furrow or as a foliar treatment to most row crops. While it is commonly mixed with nitrogen products, accesS can be used with many AgroLiquid products.

may not be completely available as sulfate. For example, this method can quantify the amount of sulfur in organic matter (OM), which holds about two to three pounds of sulfur per percentage of OM, but that sulfur is generally in a form that is not available to plants.

Remember, the non-sulfate forms of sulfur can be transformed into sulfate, but that requires time and the correct conditions to cause that transformation.

Plan that only a portion of the sulfur in that soil test will be immediately available to the plant.

In addition to sulfur’s roles in crop nutrition, it is also a tool that can be used to change the chemical balance in the soil. A proper balance of nutrients in the soil—particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium, will improve the overall health and productivity of a crop, and improve the ability of the crop to utilize the nutrition that is available to it.

If calcium, magnesium and potassium levels are out of balance, as measured by the base saturation percentage of each nutrient, they need to be brought back into balance in order to provide the best possible growing environment for the crop. Dry soil amendments that contain sulfur can be excellent tools to help rebalance soils that have excess proportions of one or more of those nutrients.

Always choose soil amendments

according to soil test analysis results.

An AgroLiquid agronomist can help in identifying the correct product for a soil amendment. Many AgroLiquid products provide sulfur for crop nutrition, but they are not intended to rebalance the soil’s chemistry.

Feed the Crop Before we can answer the questions about what AgroLiquid products to use and how much to apply, it is important to determine how much sulfur does the crop need. Sulfur requirements vary depending on the crop and yield goal.

[See below for sulfur removal chart] Another way of looking at sulfur nutrition is to provide enough sulfur to allow for the best nitrogen use efficiency for the crop. The nitrogen to sulfur ratio can help with that determination. In most crops an 8-10:1 nitrogen to sulfur ratio will meet the sulfur nutrition and nitrogen efficiency need.

Among the most versatile sulfur products in the AgroLiquid lineup, eNhance™ can be used as a sulfur source or as a nitrogen performance enhancer. The products accesS® and S-Calate® provide sulfur and sulfur plus calcium nutrition, respectively.

Contact an AgroLiquid representative to find out which product will meet your crop needs and goals.

Sulfur Removal The third AgroLiquid product that provides sulfur as the principle nutrient is S-Calate. It is a combination of both sulfur and calcium and can be used in much the same way as accesS is used.

S-Calate was developed to improve the nutrient efficiency of calcium and sulfur in low pH environments, but it can be used wherever there is a need for both sulfur and calcium.

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Alfalfa

Orchard Grass

Soybeans

Small Grain

Small Grain Silage

Corn

Corn Silage

Yield Goal

2

2

70

100

10

250

28

Sulfur removal/ ton or bu

5.4

5.8

0.18

0.1

2.8

0.08

1.1

Average Across Crops

Total Removal

11

11.6

12.6

10

28

20

30.8

18

Note that only the amount of each nutrient removed from the grain is reported in this table. When determining total sulfur requirement, consider it in the same way that nitrogen needs are determined, accounting for the sulfur needed for the grain and the stover.

Access and S-Calate are registered trademarks of AgroLiquid. eNhance is a trademark of AgroLiquid. All Rights Reserved.

springuP

Introducing our new Quick Release, Readily Available Phosphorus Product Benefits Starter liquid phosphorus solution for strong early-season performance because of its fast-release P and easy application in-furrow.

ü Stimulates early growth ü Can be applied in-furrow or with planter placement ü Low risk of seed or seedling injury

A Strong Start It’s important to get a crop off to a strong start to set the stage for a successful season. SpringuP™ is an easy-to-apply, fast-release formulation that will produce results quickly. The ability to apply springuP in-furrow makes the nutrients readily available to get the crop out of the ground quickly and evenly.

Early season soils tend to be cold, and nutrients may not be as readily available. This can slow root growth. SpringuP helps overcome these challenges, as it is specifically designed for in-furrow placement to get those young plants out of the soil, where they will benefit from added warmth and light. Partnering springuP with Pro-Germinator® provides outstanding, season-long phosphorus when and where the crop needs it.

SpringuP is available on a limited basis for the 2021 season. Contact your AgroLiquid representative to find the phosphorus product right for your farm.

ü Can be applied with other nutrients or crop protection products

Composition Guaranteed Analysis Total Nitrogen (N)

4.00%

2.50% Ammoniacal Nitrogen 1.50% Urea Nitrogen

Phosphate (P2O5)

15.00%

Potash (K2O)

3.00% Pro-Germinator is a registered trademark of AgroLiquid. springuP is a trademark of AgroLiquid. All Rights Reserved.

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Research & Development

2020 Research

By Stephanie Zelinko, Agronomist

AgroLiquid has over 30 years of research proving the performance of our products, strengthening our recommendations, testing new equipment in the industry and developing new innovation.

These trials are conducted at our North Central Research Station (NCRS) and spread across the US and Canada in contract research and field projects where we can obtain regionalized data specific to cropping systems and soil conditions. For 2020 we have focused on replicating key projects that address growers’ needs in the field. Working with our skilled team of agronomists and researchers, we have established 94 trials in the field and 19 trials at the NCRS. These trials are on over 14 different crops across nearly 20 different states and Canada.

AgroLiquid spends a lot of time making sure the products we call compatible won’t cause slow downs.

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Here are a few highlights for results you can look for this winter: • In collaboration with Precision Planting®, sulfur planter applications for corn through FurrowJet (IL and NCRS) • Fertilizer program and placement options in cotton (MS, TX and NCRS)

• Potato fertility programs (ID, MT, W. Canada and NCRS) • Fertilizer program and rate effects on alfalfa yield and quality (MN) • Potassium source comparison on soybeans (KS and NCRS)

• Calcium application placement for soybeans (IL and NCRS)

• Molybdenum on yellow peas (W. Canada)

• Annual vegetable fertilizer program comparisons (E. Canada) • Potassium source comparison on sugarcane (LA)

• 360 Y-DROP sulfur and nitrogen applications on soybeans (KY and NCRS)

• Soybean foliar trials (KS, OH, NCRS)

• Sugarbeet foliar applications (MN and NCRS)

• Foliar applications on grapes and almonds (CA)

• Expanding Micro 500™ win-rate data (30+ locations)

Harvest is complete in most of the country, and we are now collecting and analyzing data from all of these projects. As it arrives, the research and agronomy teams are working hard to get reports finalized and ready to share with you. Please watch for updates in our next newsletter, Agronomic Advisor emails, social media and on our research website research.agroliquid.com.

Micro 500 is a registered trademark of AgroLiquid.

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Apply less, expect more?

It’s time for a crop nutrition plan that gets more return from every drop. One that starts with a full line of crop nutrients, from nitrogen to molybdenum, features custom formulas that deliver the right nutrients at the right time, and keeps going with robust agronomic knowledge and customer support. AgroLiquid has precisely what it takes to help you succeed like never before.

Find an AgroLiquid dealer near you. AgroLiquid.com

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Pro-Germinator®, Sure-K® and Kalibrate® are registered trademarks of AgroLiquid. © 2020 AgroLiquid. All Rights Reserved.